André Carson has a serious 2026 primary opponent. Here's how much they've raised so far
But that fundraising surge comes as Carson contends with what is likely one of the most serious primary challengers of his 17 years representing Indiana's 7th Congressional District, which covers the majority of Indianapolis. George Hornedo, a 34-year-old attorney and political strategist, in his first federal campaign finance filing of the 2026 election cycle, reported raising more than $157,000 between November 2024 and the end of June.
It's the most money any of Carson's primary challengers have reported receiving in an entire election cycle. None of the Democrats that have challenged Carson in primary races since 2010 raised above the $5,000 threshold that requires candidates to file federal campaign finance reports.
Hornedo's campaign follows a trend this year of younger Democrats challenging party norms, including running against longtime party incumbents in Congress. Hornedo has argued Indianapolis needs a change from Carson, who was first elected to represent the 7th Congressional District in 2008.
In a July 16 press release, Hornedo's campaign reported it received more money from individual donors than Carson, rather than groups and PACS, and had a greater number of donors. Hornedo's campaign also said it did not take money from corporate political committees, while Carson's did. Carson reported donations this quarter from corporate political action committees, such as Elevance Health and Cummins.
'We're building something new – with people – and we're just getting started,' Hornedo said in a statement.
2026 elections approaching: André Carson has been in Congress since 2008. Could his 2026 primary be competitive?
But Carson raised more money between April and June than Hornedo did in the first eight months since he launched his campaign. Carson also reports more than $611,000 in cash on hand heading into the second half of 2025. That is more than nine times Hornedo's nearly $66,500 in cash on hand.
Aysha Ahmed, the finance director for Carson's campaign, said in a statement to IndyStar that the fundraising numbers in the congressman's latest report 'reflects his ability to mobilize Hoosier voters.'
'Congressman Carson knows that to take back the House in 2026, the work starts now,' Ahmed said in a statement. 'And he will continue to mobilize Hoosiers and voters across the country.'
Indiana's primary election is May 5, 2026.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com.
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